Neutral palette makes for timeless rooms

Avoid dramatic paint in children's bedrooms and update by changing the accessories as they grow

Choosing a neutral tone, such as the pale green shown here, is the best way to help children's rooms grow with them.

Photograph by: John Mahoney
, Postmedia News

Q: Dear Leanne, I'm hoping to mini-renovate my children's rooms. What colours would you suggest for an eight-year-old boy's room and five-year-old girl's room? Which calming, soothing colours would be best? Should we use neutral paint and accessorize with pops of colour? Or should we use dramatic paint and mute with soft accessories?

A: Decorating a child's room can be very inspiring. This room plays a special role in a child's life and is often an extension of the parents' desire to provide a nurturing cocoon. Decorating a child's room should be fun, so tap into the child in you and start the process from that perspective.

There are no "right" or "best" colours to recommend, as this is a personal choice. There are, how-ever, considerations that make the process a pleasant experience for all involved.

Many times, clients start their renovation projects with wall colours. Although this is definitely an important part of the ambience, it is recommended to leave the actual colour to the end. You want to start with your limited design options - those items that must stay - for ex-ample, furniture and flooring. These will need to be kept in mind when paint colours, window coverings and accessories are added.

Next, consider the function in-tended for this space. I understand that you would like the room to be calming and soothing, suggesting the space is intended for sleeping and quiet activities. If your children also spend active or creative time in this space, consider providing easy access to toys and books. This can greatly assist your child in keeping the room tidy. Redesigning closet space and providing shelving at a height they can reach will go a long way to helping them in this as well. Now you can consider colours and patterns. One concern commonly voiced by parents is over spending time and money on a child's room, only to see the child quickly outgrow it. But rest assured, changing the colour down the road will not be an exorbitant expenditure - of all the decorating options available, paint is one of the most cost effective products available.

I suggest you include your children in the design. To simplify this task, first select three options you will be pleased with and then have them choose one. In every colour palette, there are calm and soothing colours, but it is up to you to together select the colour they want to live with. A neutral shade is definitely safe, as you can change the accessories as they grow. But remember that this is a child's space, so today's accessories should be engaging and of interest to your child. Creams and off-whites can be a lovely backdrop for a room, and the blue, taupe, grey and green colour palettes also have neutral options.

Wallpaper is also an interesting option, especially in plaid patterns. Plaid is timeless and it can suit both boys and girls of all age groups. Consider adding wallpaper to the lower portion of the room and build your colour palette around that. If, for instance, you select for your daughter a plaid comprised of soft coral, yellow and green, you can choose any of these colours as the paint colour for the upper wall and accents throughout the room. If your son enjoys sports, perhaps you can find a plaid that includes some of the colours of his favourite team. As the child grows and interests mature, you can retain the plaid but change the paint colours that co-ordinate with it. It will feel fresh with mini-mal adjustments.

Q: Dear Leanne, Over the holidays, we noticed that candle wax had been spilled on the carpet. It is a grey-flecked Berber and the wax is white. I am concerned that removing the wax will fuzz up the carpet's surface, and picking the wax seems to pull the carpet. Do you have any suggestions?

A: Wax on carpet is a common holiday dilemma. There are a few tricks to help you with your problem. First ensure that the wax is hard by placing a paper towel on the area and rubbing it with an ice cube. Without pulling on the fibres, cut off any large wax chunks. Next, place a clean white tea towel over the spill and gently iron or blow dry on very low heat (very important!). Paper towel may be substituted for the tea towel, but be careful with the heat as you do not want to scorch the carpet. Move the towel over the spill to offer a clean, absorbent surface for the wax to adhere to. This may take a few attempts, depending on how large your spill is. Keep moving the heat source to avoid overheating the area and check your progress frequently.

Leanne Brownoff is an Edmonton interior design consultant who welcomes your questions at leannebrownoff @shaw.ca. Answers will be featured in her column as high volumes prevent individual email responses. Also follow Leanne at twitter.com/LeanneBrownoff

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